If you know me, you know I read a lot. Here is my reading list this summer:

Radicals, Rhetoric, and the War--Brad Lucas
The Road--Cormac McCarthy
The Chicago Guide to Your Academic Career
Bird by Bird--Anne Lamott
The MLA Guide to Academic Writing
Modern Dogma and the Rhetoric of Assent--Wayne Boothe
Rhetorical Power--Steven Mailloux
Literary Theory: A Very Short Introduction
Orientalism--Edward Said
The Revolution: A Manifesto--Ron Paul
The Essential Foucault 1954-1984

In addition to books, I read a lot of periodicals and websites. I subscribe to the following: Newsweek (with which, I might add, I am very unimpressed), Home Theater, Sound and Vision, ESPN the Magazine, The Ensign. I don't read these in their entirety. I also read at least one article a day from my favorite websites: ESPN.com, nytimes.com, latimes.com, washingtonpost.com, star-telegram.com (local FT Worth paper), dallasnews.com, digg.com, time.com, hnn.us (the History News Network, I highly recommend it). Plus all of your wonderful blogs.

Why do I list this? For fun. But also, I want you to know that I read a lot, so that you when I say that I read something singularly brilliant, you believe that I have things to which I might compare it.

You might have noticed a book in the list: Orientalism, by Edward Said. I am giving this book my fullest endorsement. I have not read a work this insightful and intelligent in some time. What is this book about? That is a tricky question. This book is not a history of the middle east. This book is a history of western discourse about the middle east. There really is a huge difference. This guy is looking at the way that Europeans and Americans have studied the middle east.

Until you read this book, you cannot understand Occidental foreign policy. You cannot understand relations between the middle east and Western culture, to put it another way. But, beyond the specifics of middle eastern/western relations, this book will show how entire fields of knowledge are established and entrenched and how difficult it is to break out of these discourses. Said is using a lot of Foucault's theories, so if you want more, read the Foucault collection I listed above as well.

Read this book! You will not be sorry you did. It is tough reading, but you will have much to think and talk about afterward. It is still in print. It has been translated into 25 languages. It's that good. Read it! . . . Now!

Dooooo you. . .do. . . eeeeeeaat like I do?

I don't mind telling you that I know my way around a kitchen. I thought I would make a post about some of my favorite thing to eat, which, unfortunately, means I have to cook them first. I'll waste no time.

First thing: throw out your vegetable oil, or, (shudder), canola oil. I only cook with olive oil and I will never go back. It tastes better and is better for you.

I have also been not buying flour. I have a wheat grinder (courtesy of Mom) and I grind whole wheat to make flour. It might not be quite what your used to eating, but it's cheaper and, again, better for you. I have grown to prefer this over white flour. If you're interested in red wheat, you can email my good friend Ryan Fernandez and he will fill you in on the gastrointestinal effects, as he so kindly did for Kaaryn and me.

But enough of this, on to recipes.

I will start with the most simple. There is a certain brand of pancake mix that puts all others to shame. I owe this one to Ryan and Teresa Fernandez. I used to home teach the Fernandi. During one visit Teresa told us about this mix and excitedly sent us home with a box of our own. I have since sent a few boxes home with people myself. That's how good this pancake mix is, it turns you into a crack dealer. "Hey kid, how would you like to fly . . . lumberjack style?" That's how good this mix is. As far as we can tell, it is only available at Frye's stores, they call them Kroger here in Texas. It is called "Premium Quality: Private Selection Belgian Waffle and Pancake Mix." Look for it at your local Frye's/Kroger store. Kaaryn has never liked pancakes, she loves these. When you eat them, be sure you use real 100% maple syrup. We recently began using real maple. It is much tastier and is not just flavored corn syrup, which is what you're eating if it's not real maple.

There is a certain pizza dough that I make frequently. I got this recipe online, but I find the exact one lacking. I found this recipe because it was the first one that came up when I googled "pizza dough recipe." There is the link below. But I make the following change to this recipe: When at the stage when you have just added 1 cup flower and 1/4 cup olive oil, I like to add crushed red pepper, black pepper, minced garlic, and oregano (at least, Kaaryn tells me it's oregano.) Follow the instructions and take my additions and it makes one tasty dish. The recipe will make one extra large pizza or two big calzones.
http://www.fabulousfoods.com/recipes/breads/yeast/pizzadough.html

My most simple taco meat. This couldn't me much easier, but we enjoy it quite a bit. I will brown a pound of beef in El Pato. El Pato is a Mexican duck sauce. It runs about 60 cents for a small can. It comes in both green and red cans. I like them both. I put the El Pato in before I cook the beef, cook it in the beef, and then drain it all in a strainer. It leaves a terrible mess in your sink, but is very easy and very good. Look for El Pato in the Hispanic Food section at your local grocer. (Bonus: Put El Pato on a frozen pizza. I call it the heartburn special.)


For all of you out there that think you could never make some good kabobs, I say "Don't be so foolish." Kabobs are simple. Just get yourself some decent beef, some chicken, and some veggies, (I prefer peppers, onions, squash, and mushrooms), marinate that beef and chicken over night and cook it over some charcoal. You heard me, Hank, propane is void of flavor. It may be clean and efficient, but I like the smokey taste of carcinogens.

Also, never again should you have a boring burger. Don't use pre-made patties, unless you're already drunk. Start with thawed ground beef. Knead some seasoned salt, some pepper, and garlic if you please, into the meat. If you have the means and the taste, a couple tablespoons of your favorite marinade is very good as well. This is very simple, but adds worlds of goodness to your burger. Once again, make sure it's cooked over charcoal.

Kaaryn tells me that Navajo tacos are a Snowflake favorite. Start by making some sopapillas. (1 cup flower, 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, pinch salt: cut 1 tablespoon butter into flower mix: add 1/3 cup warm water and knead: fry in oil.) (Recipe from Kaaryn's family cookbook). Then just add some Mexican meat (the El Pato beef works very well), some beans, cheese, and whatever else you might like. This, like all my recipes, is very easy.


That's all I feel like typing for now. Please, if you have a favorite thing to eat, and make, leave it in the comments for everyone. I am always looking for more things to try.

2750 South Hulen St., Fort Worth, Texas 76109
The Brimhalls recently paid us a visit. It was a pleasant trip. I think it reached its pinnacle when we all got to hear Shane perform his delightfully profane cover of Rage Against the Machine's "Killing in the Name of." It was also nice to have Jalan and Penny around to leap onto the grenade that is Salem's unquenchable need for attention. All kinds of fun things were done. And we have the pictures to prove it.

Jalan was nice enough to feed Salem. She was grateful.



Kaaryn and her family all visited the 6th floor museum. It is a museum in Dallas in the very room where "Oswald shot Kennedy." I put that in quotation marks because it has come to my attention that there is a certain kook conspiracy theory concerning the death of President Kennedy. Apparently this theory posits that Oswald was a disgruntled communist that acted completely alone in the assassination. Outlandish, I know. Thankfully nobody really believes it.

See the white "X" in the middle lane. That is where Kennedy was shot. Seriously, it's still there.


Here's the Texas Book Depository. It's just across the street from the Dallas Money Depository, which is what they call a bank here.


They built this monument for Kennedy. Evidently, Oswald has a monument in his honor at General Dynamics' Corporate Office in Falls Church, Virginia.



We also went to Six Flags, which is in Arlington, between Dallas and Fort Worth. Six Flags in right next to the Rangers ballpark and the new 1.2 billion dollar Cowboys stadium. It's really cool down there. It was a pretty hot day, but we all survived.

Believe it or not, Batman took this picture.


If anyone knows who's car this is, some idiot parked in my space.


It was really hot, I tells ya!


Bald people get thirsty too.


They had some good shows . . . no, wait. That was actually a gubernatorial debate.



We went and ate dinner in the Historic Fort Worth Stockyards District. The Stockyards District reminds me a lot of the old movie "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" excepts not quite as sophisticated.

This is a small, outdoor mall.


I went in to order a share of Google and they asked if I wanted t-bone or sirloin.


Jessica Simpson would be proud. Too bad she can't read the caption.


Somehow they knew I would be there. I felt very welcome.

The Great Circle of . . . Stuff.

Here is something we have enjoyed of late. Kaaryn notices a bird's nest a few weeks ago. There were eggs in it. I refused to count them so as to, once again, assure compliance with axiomatic knowledge. However, they hatched this week. Three birds. I named them after the three wise men: Larry, Moe, and Shemp. Enjoy the pictures.

Strait from the White House Lawn. . .


Luckily, I have a lot of experience creeping through bushes with a camera.


Call them chicks? You pig!


Unfortunately, I had just vomited all my food for Salem.

Sweet, summer rain. You know, they say God blessed Texas (with more, that is, than a hair trigger on the execution order). Today, I have the proof.

Somehow, north Texas has arraigned some kind of deal with God, wherein He waters our lawns for free. This may be difficult for those in Arizona to believe, but it's true. I have photographic proof. Check out this morning's Texas thunderstorm.

This is at 7:30AM. Before the rain.








After the rain began.

I write this post, not to boast, but just to show everyone how much better I am than them. Kaaryn and I have recently proved ourselves to be thrift store champions. "What's that", you say, "aren't thrift stores for losers?" Well, yes. Thrift stores are for losers. You, my reader, have won this round, but I'll be back, rest assured.

I will explain for anyone unfamiliar with thrift stores. Thrift stores have goods donated to them by well-meaning, yet wasteful people. After wading through the aftermath of said donations, and rubbing elbows with the lumpenproletariat, the store will sell you the goods in exchange for a small amount of American dollars and your dignity. However, in my case, the joke is on them, since I gave up my dignity when I attended Arizona State. Anyhow, we were frequenters of some stores of the thrift variety back home. But, we had to find new stores here in Fort Worth. And, as luck would have it, we found a couple of stores we really like.

Each thrift store has its own cause it benefits. I can't recall the name of the first thrift store, but it benefits a local pregnancy center. It was tidy and well done. The people were very nice. It was definitely one of the more classy thrift stores, evidenced in the lack of lice warnings on the clothing racks. We found some good things at this one. Check it out.

Hat for baby: $1.50


End table: $5.00


Frames: $5.00 each


The other store we found is a Goodwill. As were approaching this particular branch, Kaaryn noticed the word "Superstore" written across the side of the building. "Wow!" She exclaimed. "It's a superstore!" "What does that mean?" I asked. "I don't know. But it sounds great!" So what is a Goodwill Superstore? As far as I can tell, there are three major differences between this Goodwill and others. The differences are: 1. The Superstore had about 35% less stank than the typical Goodwill. 2. The body fat of the average shopper at the Superstore dropped down to a scantly 40%. And, finally. number 3. The employees were not trying to hang themselves in the belt section. Other than that, the stores were identical. Goodwill stores also have a charitable cause. They employ those in need of job training or who are otherwise difficult to employ, namely: the mentally and physically handicapped, ex-convicts, and ousted congressmen. We found some more deals here. Check them out.


Chandelier: $5.00


Plates: 4 for $4.00


Plates: 8 for $4.00


Picture and frame: $5.00


Sewing desk: $20.00


These were not all of our deals. But it will give you an idea.

Greetings and hello.

Enough with the apologies of late. Now, I will update everyone on the family.

Kaaryn has been working overnights as a hospice home health nurse. She goes to people's homes and stays overnight as they slowly and impatiently wait to die. I know it sounds like a circus, but it's actually kind of a drag. She works from 8PM to 8AM. Then she comes home and sleeps while I play Mr. Mom. Her schedule has her working three days one week and then 4 days the next, which has her harassing me four days one week and then three days the next.

Salem has been growing up quite a bit. She now has a total of four teeth, which beats out the majority of residents in Taylor, AZ.

She likes to Skype her grandmas. If anyone is not familiar with Skype, it's the coolest thing since James Dean's estate sale. People can do videophone conversations for free online. Check it out at skype.com.

She has been eating baby food lately. Kaaryn gave her a go at this pizza crust, which nearly ended in the baby Heimlich, seriously, it almost did.

She has been working on her baby smile. Which is coming along.

This was a propitious bit of photography. This was the first time Salem sat up unassisted.

And finally, Salem has been dabbling with the Jedi mind trick. I can't quite recall why, but I let her stay up really late that night.

An interesting episode with Athos: he disappeared a couple of nights ago. He likes to go outside and has never ventured further than three feet from our back door. However, one night, as I am going to bed, I noticed that nothing extraordinarily abrasive is licking my scalp. I looked everywhere and could not find him. The next day I looked all over again. Athos was gone. Kaaryn and I drove around the neighborhood and inquired with neighbors, but there was no white puff of fur to be found anywhere outside of Mrs. Smith's jumbo old lady hat.

The only thing that gave us comfort was that we had just purchased a collar and a tag for him, so hopefully anyone that found him would know where to call. But nobody called. So imagine my surprise when the next morning I let Mojo out and saw no kitty. Five minutes later, I go to let "capital M, as in Momo," as I call him, back into the house, and there is Athos pawing at the glass door. He looks like he lost some weight, and was very glad to be home, but came home nonetheless.

Here he is trying to steal some cereal from me after returning home.

And just hanging around having a lazy day.

Mojo has been coming along very well. He loves Athos, they play quite a bit. And he really loves Roxanne. Those two have some pretty intense play sessions full of biting and tackling and neck and ear pulling. Mojo is pretty much fully potty trained and is pretty good about only chewing licensed objects.

Mojo loves to play with Roxanne. Athos likes to spectate.

He has been working on the face pull move for a few weeks now.

And Mojo loves to snuggle.

Hello, everybody. I apologize for the recent lull in quality content. I have a little more busyness in the near future, and then I promise to get everyone up to speed. In the mean time, I have created a companion blog to this one: Generally Interesting Videos. I have been finding a lot of videos and I didn't just want to throw them all on this blog. So I made a new one. There is a link to the right, or you can find it at generallyinterestingvideos.blogspot.com Leave a comment if you visit the site, so I know if anyone is actually going there. I will probably update that blog fairly frequently, so enjoy.

The time has come, bloggers, to pay the proverbial piper. I found a nice dry speech on Web 2.0 and what this guy calls the "cognitive surplus." And now you must watch it! But seriously, this is really good, and, I think, significant. Before you say, "Oh no! Another bald, white guy badmouthing tv. I love tv. Tv makes me feel like I'm somebody!" Before you say any of that, watch this. The blogging world should find this, at least, interesting, since you're doing exactly what he's talking about. It runs about 15 minutes.

I've been busy with some stuff of late. I don't have much time for a decent post. So, instead of posting about the stuff that keeps my busy, I found a humorous video on The Onion that is both pertinent and non offensive. Enjoy.



In The Know: Are Politicians Failing Our Lobbyists?